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Author: AFP

HSBC pre-tax profit doubled in Q3

HONG KONG: Banking giant HSBC said yesterday that pre-tax profit in the third quarter more than doubled to $7.7 billion, reflecting the “positive impact of a higher interest rate environment”. The on-year spike from $3.2 billion was partly down to an impairment in the same period last year over the

Tattoo artist inks cremated remains in art

WHEN Scout Frank lost her mother, she knew she needed to keep her close — and hit upon the perfect solution when she found she could have her ashes tattooed into her skin. Clutching a small wooden box containing the cremated remains of her mom, Frank was emotional as she

Bumper profits ebb at US oil giants

NEW YORK: ExxonMobil and Chevron reported lower profits Friday compared with the year-ago blowout quarter as the oil giants touted recent acquisitions they said balance economic and environmental priorities. The two petroleum heavyweights — which in recent weeks have unveiled large takeovers of midsized fossil fuel players — both reported

Britain’s iconic red phone boxes revitalised

KINGS LYNN (United Kingdom): In a workshop packed with historic memorabilia, from rusty petrol pumps to vintage enamel signs, Carl Burge skilfully applied the finishing touches to the red British telephone box he was restoring. “They’re iconic,” said Burge, 54, who has been working on revitalising the tired, ageing phone

Key US inflation gauge holds steady in Sept

WASHINGTON: A key indicator of US inflation stayed steady in September, the government reported Friday, as policymakers push on in their battle against persistent price increases. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose 3.4 per cent from a year ago —

Israel continues to pound Gaza

GAZA STRIP (Palestinian Territories): Israel pounded the Hamas-run Gaza Strip with air and artillery strikes on Saturday after an intense night of attacks when it said 150 “underground targets” were hit. No official toll was immediately given, but a Gaza civil defence official told AFP a “large number” of dead

Baboons are wily cooperators, study shows

PARIS: Like humans, baboons are able to cooperate with another of their kind for the common good — or punish them if they don’t reciprocate, a study said on Friday. Scientists have long debated whether animals other than humans are capable of this complicated tit-for-tat interaction known as “strategic cooperation”.

Warning of halt to Gaza aid operations

JERUSALEM: A UN agency warned it could be forced to stop aid operations in war-riven Gaza on Wednesday due to dwindling fuel supplies, as calls mounted for a humanitarian “pause” in fighting. After 18 days of withering Israeli air strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of the

Singapore pilgrims seek divine help at temple

KUSU ISLAND (Singapore): On Singapore’s tiny Kusu islet, legend has it that a giant turtle turned itself into an island to save two sailors. A century after a Chinese temple was opened on its shores, pilgrims are still flowing in, seeking good fortunes. Tens of thousands of Taoist, Buddhist and

Indonesia’s 3-way presidential race set

JAKARTA: The candidates for next year’s Indonesian presidential election were set Wednesday, with septuagenarian former special forces general Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, the president’s son, seen as the frontrunners. Nearly 205 million eligible voters can cast their ballot on February 14, with the winner set to succeed President